Manager Steve Lovell believes Gillingham might have a better chance of getting past Carlisle in an away replay.

His Gills side were unable to see off a resilient League 2 side on home soil, in their FA Cup
second round clash, meaning the two teams must battle it out again in Cumbria next Tuesday night.

Gillingham’s best form has been away from home under Lovell, including all three of his league victories to date.

Lovell said: “I think teams come to us (at Priestfield) and stop us from playing, they defend and defend in numbers. It is hard to break them down.

“They came to get us back to their place, but they don’t realise we are better away from home! They should have planned it better.

“They will come out at us (in the game at Carlisle) which will make it more of an open game and that will suit us.

“Defensively we were sound (on Saturday) but we just have to finish teams off and it will come.

“We restricted them to two or three long-range shots, Tomas Holy (the Gills keeper) didn’t really have a save to make. He should have saved the penalty!

“I said to the goalkeeper coach, that’s the least he has done (this season). You always take the positives and that was one.”

The replay, scheduled for Tuesday, December 12, will come just days after a trek to Plymouth on Saturday.

Lovell said: “There will be a lot of travelling, but hey ho, that’s part of the game.

“We are going to Plymouth for Saturday’s game on the Thursday and we will come back and then go up to Carlisle on the Monday.

“Then we will be home for Bristol Rovers on Saturday (next week). That’s our job isn’t it and we’ll look forward to it.

“It’s another game, we’re still in the cup and I can’t wait.”

Full coverage of Gillingham's FA Cup tie against Carlisle in Monday's Medway Messenger